Race for the prize

One of the best live bands around

Flaming June

I'd planned to do my Bob Graham on June 17 but after learning that's the night of the Dark Peak mass attempt plus the date for many other contenders' goes I've decided to put my date back until July. Last year I spent days and days thinking about the BG, obsessing about the logistics and planning what might have been. This year I've focused on training harder and what will be will be

Work is the other issue affecting my decision. It looks like I'm going to India (and probably Bangladesh) around the middle of May and two weeks in South Asia starting four weeks before an attempt would make things very difficult. I'm in Turkey next week but the trip will be okay as I'm not flying until Monday late morning and I'll be back early Friday afternoon ready for another trip to the Lakes (I'm up there this coming weekend with Stef recceing with some friends from the FRA forums)

Plain Sailing

Liver Hill fell race

Spring has now officially sprung! Last night I went over to Rawtenstall in Lancashire for the Liver Hill fell race organised by Rossendale Harriers This is seriously fast and furious; an all-runnable 5mile / 800ft, held every year on the first Tuesday after the clocks are put forward. For me it marks the transition from winter to spring running and last night I ran in vest and shorts, which felt just right

This is the third time I've done the race and it's a good sharpener when the vast majority of your training involves slogging up mountains and jogging the flats before running back down. The long moorland section is more like a cross-country race than a typical Pennine fell race and this year the going was fast with just the 11 stiles to hold the runners back

I was talking to an old friend last week and he suggested I try to include some quality running each week into my training. Last night was certainly quality running because after finishing I could hardly stand and I dropped my Cadbury's Creme Egg because I was shaking that much (entry is free and all finishers get chocolate at the end!). The results aren't out yet but should be posted here soon

Big Louise

Fieldfare, Pikes and Peaks

Well everything I had planned for the weekend came off!

My Friday afternoon birdwatching walk was lovely in the sun and I had an enormous cornet from the van at Barden Bridge. Still no sand martin but most of the usual suspects were out on or by the river plus I saw a flock of around 30 fieldfare in the field behind the path into the Strid Woods

On Saturday I met Geoff near Kendal as arranged and we climbed Harrison Stickle from the new Dungeon Ghyll then picked up the Bob Graham route as far as Scafell Pike before returning down the pony track by Rossett Gill. We worked out we'd done 15miles and 6000ft of climb plus we'd taken the correct line over to Rossett Pike and up Billy Bland's rakes on Bowfell and memorised a few useful landmarks on these. On the way down to Mickleden we spotted a very smart male wheatear, surely a sign that spring is now here

Yesterday after meeting Dave at his home around lunchtime we headed over to Three Peaks country and ran over Whernside and Ingleborough. We got back to Ribblehead in time for a tea each at the famous Fourth Peak burger van. I felt great climbing Ingleborough and am very satisfied with my 39miles and just shy of 12000ft of climb for the week

Buzzcocks

The first band I really loved. Who'd want to listen to Pink Floyd or the Bee Gees when they could listen to Pete Shelley and the lads?

Plans

I went over to Ilkley Moor last night and did three reps of my 550ft climb route up past White Wells. It was a lovely evening to be out and it was quite possibly my last headtorch run of the winter. I time my mid-week training runs rarely but noticed I was back two minutes quicker than my 'usual' on returning to the car

I've arranged to meet Geoff tomorrow to recce a good chunk of Leg 3 of the Bob Graham (Langdale Pikes to Scafell Pike and back, possibly over the Crinkles) and am going up to Ribblehead to run up Whernside and Ingleborough with my friend Dave on Sunday afternoon as part of his Three Peaks Fell Race training

If it's nice this afternoon I'll probably go for another birdwatching walk by the river. It cannot be long now before the sand martins arrive, plus there's the incentive of the ice cream van at Barden Bridge to spur me on!

Empty Chairs

There's a guy who goes to the Swan in Addingham and sings this on acoustic, open-mic nights. He has a good voice and a great taste in music. Has there ever been a better song about lost love and missed opportunities?

Simon's Seat

It was our final 'timed training run' of the winter last night. A 5 miles / 1000 feet climb of Simon's Seat from the Craven Arms in quite possibly my favourite Wharfedale village, Appletreewick

I've not seen the results yet but guess there were around 15 to 20 of us including local fell running champions Ted Mason and Ian Holmes. I managed the run in seven minutes faster than I've done in the past and was very pleased with myself (in fairness Ted, who 'won', set a record time and it was a perfect evening for running)

After the race, oops, 'timed training run', we retired to the pub for beer and the usual stories of getting lost, discussions of summer plans etc. I'd managed to organise a lift up and back down the dale, which was handy because the Saltaire Raspberry Blond went down even better than ace descender Ted in a new pair of fell shoes!